As everywhere, it is the nature of the geography that most influences the food and drink traditions of the Jura and Franche-Comté. The diverse landscape of mountains, dense forests, high meadows, vineyards, lakes and the river plain have all shaped what the local population ate and drank. Franche-Comté’s gastronomy has much in common with that of Switzerland’s western cantons, but there are subtle differences.  Most of the rural population in the mountains and on the plain lived from their dairy cows and pigs, so the principal specialities are the wonderfully rich cows’ milk cheeses from unpasteurized milk and tasty pork sausages and charcuterie. The sausages and meats are smoked by hanging in a tuyé, a very large pyramidal chimney over the fire, burning wood from conifers.